


Mistaken Identity

by Darthkvzn



Category: Injustice: Gods Among Us, Mortal Kombat (Video Games), Terminator - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Crossover, Gen, Injustice Earth with Mortal Kombat characters, Justice League (mentioned) - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-22
Updated: 2020-04-22
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:54:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23781940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darthkvzn/pseuds/Darthkvzn
Summary: Cassie's more than used to it, but she can, in fact, see why some people would find it odd that she has an inter-dimensional, time-travelling killing machine for a glorified babysitter. And sure, it's kinda macabre when he comes back from battle and his endoskeleton is showing...but, as Frost is soon to figure out, there are a couple of advantages to being friends to an infiltration unit.(Multi-fandom crossover, hella AU, fluffy teenaged Cassie x Frost if you so choose to interpret it as)
Relationships: Cassie Cage/Frost (if you squint), Sonya Blade/Johnny Cage
Comments: 6
Kudos: 16





	Mistaken Identity

**Author's Note:**

> I don't, as the kids say, even "go here"
> 
> I know, I know - this is a weird-ass combo, but I've had ideas for an Injustice x Mortal Kombat crossover-verse forever, and they've so far gone nowhere, so just assume this takes place on an Earth, out in the multiverse, in which Superman went mad with power only to be taken down by Batman and the governments of the world went "yeah, we'll let you have your new Justice League, but we'll be trusting on our own superhero team, thanks". The MK Krew works for the UN Special Forces dealing with Outworld/Netherrealm invasions and the Kombat Kids are like, sidekicks, Young Justice style.
> 
> All that out of the way, all you need to know is a Terminator somehow ended up as part of Cassie's weird little family and Frost is really curious as to why he chooses to look as a hot grandpa. Hope you enjoy! I definitely did.

“Hey...why does your robot chaperone look like a bodybuilding grandpa?”

Cassie looks up from her phone, idly scrolling through her social feed. Master Kuai Liang’s new apprentice - aptly codenamed ‘Frost’ - stiffly leans against the door frame to her room in UNSF’s HQ. It’s rare to see the bluenette even  _ this  _ relaxed, from what little Cassie’s seen of her - not much of a shock, given how stern the Lin Kuei Grandmaster seems to be. Almost  _ everyone _ around her is stern. 

She...takes after her  _ father _ .

Frost is talking about Pops, of course. They’ve just come back from a mission, so she’s likely been given all the  _ deets  _ on what he is, and what he’s capable of. “I’ve...never really asked him.” -she says, finally.

“He’s some kind of infiltration android, right? His looks aren’t exactly  _ subtle _ .” -she says, a bit of sarcasm coloring her tone. Frost is not wrong, of course; Pops usually rocks a  _ bitchin’ _ pair of sunglasses, and a leather jacket that can only  _ barely _ handle his chiseled figure.

“Honestly, I think he likes it that way. People were  _ terrified _ of him when he first popped into our reality.” -she recalls. “It’s a lot harder to think of him as scary now.”

She was only a kid, then, but she still remembers the panic in her mother’s face when the unstoppable cyborg emerged from the time sphere, tall, mute, and  _ buck-ass nude _ . She remembers the usually fearless Sonya Blade shrieking at her to  _ run,  _ as Pops took one of her father’s  _ glowy kicks _ to the face without complaint. The only reason he  _ didn’t _ kill them all is that he realized her mother  _ wasn’t _ ‘Sarah Connor’ - someone whom, in fact, did not even  _ exist _ in their world. It’s the kind of thing that  _ should’ve  _ traumatized her for life, but, compared to the  _ nightmares  _ she’s seen since her parents joined the Special Forces in taking on the horrors of Outworld and the Netherrealm, the brief case of mistaken identity that led her to grow up with a  _ Terminator  _ is almost  _ comical _ .

“So he didn’t look like that when he first came in?” -Frost asks, raising an eyebrow.

Cassie snorts. “No, he kinda looked like...Conan the Barbarian, I guess?”

Frost blinks, confused. Cassie should’ve known; the kids the Lin Kuei clan takes in grow up in seclusion, without access to movies or television. The blonde looks up a picture of the character in question and shows it to the cryomancer, who narrows her eyes at it. “So...what, he aged himself fifty years to look nicer to people?”

“That’d be my guess.” -she says. “We... _ could _ just ask him, y’know.”

Sub-Zero’s apprentice visibly shudders, which she wouldn’t have even thought possible. “You sure that’s safe? I saw him tear through demons like they were  _ wet tissue paper _ .”

“Oh, I’ve known him since I was a toddler. Pops is a _huge_ _softie_ underneath that _killer robot_ exterior.”

“Cassie, I’m pretty sure the  _ only  _ thing under the killer robot exterior is  _ more killer robot _ .” -she says, with a look that tells her that she’s been introduced to Pops’ endoskeleton. “Still...I trust you. Lead the way.”

* * *

Pops is doing his daily crossword puzzles in the kitchen when they find him. He’s a sight and a half, the left side of his face and right forearm completely burned off by what she can only assume to have been hellfire, revealing the nigh indestructible metallic endoskeleton beneath. The battle damage won’t last long - his ‘injuries’ will heal in maybe a couple hours, at most - but Cassie knows he’ll keep to himself in the meantime. For an ‘unfeeling’ machine, he really  _ can  _ be self-conscious.

The Terminator looks up and to his left, in a very clearly robotic manner. “Hello, Cassandra.” -he says, in his usual, heavily accented monotone. “Hello, Frost.”

Cassie waves hello. Frost just nods, clearly unsettled by the android’s macabre appearance. “That looks like it hurt.” -Cassie says, raising an eyebrow. 

“It did not.” -he says. “I am only capable of simulating pain outside of combat situations.”

“Pops, I don’t think I’ve  _ ever _ heard you utter so much as an  _ ‘ow’ _ .” -she says, crossing her arms. 

“The simulation is intended to aid in the believability of infiltration tactics.” -he explains. “I am not currently infiltrating United Nations Special Forces’ numbers.”

Cassie hums, amused. “But you  _ do _ sometimes take on infiltration missions for the UNSF, right?”

“Affirmative.”

“You’d think the bad guys would see you coming a mile away by now. You’re kind of a  _ big boy, _ Pops.”

Pops stares back and forth between her and Frost a couple times. “To answer your implicit query would require divulging classified combat information regarding this unit’s capabilities.” -he notes.

“Oh,  _ boo,  _ you can tell  _ me _ .”

“...I am not programmed to adhere to any government regulations.” -he says, in what Cassie has learned, over the years, is his brand of humor.

Cassie chuckles. “Spill it, then.”

“My default appearance is that of Cyberdyne Systems Infiltration Model 101. However, I am a model NRS-419 T-800 series Terminator. It is within my capabilities to shed this appearance and assume different humanoid forms.”

Frost’s curiosity seemingly gets the better of her. “ _ Wait... _ so you can look like other people?”

“Affirmative.”

“ _ Anyone? _ ”

“Within certain height parameters, yes.”

Frost pulls Cassie’s arm to face her. “Cassie, I have the _best_ _idea_ for a prank.”

Cassie blinks, surprised that the usually reserved cryomancer would even  _ think _ of pulling a prank on anyone. Still, she  _ is _ Johnny Cage’s daughter - she  _ revels _ in this kind of thing. “I’m listening…”

* * *

It takes a  _ full week _ for their  _ nefarious plan _ to be put into motion. Apparently, for Pops to assume a different shape, he has to literally  _ regrow it from scratch. _ Even putting his regeneration protocols into overdrive, it still takes him almost  _ a hundred and sixty hours _ to complete the transformation.

It’s just in time, too, because Master Kuai Liang and Frost are returning to Arctika by day’s end, until such a time as they join the Special Forces in another mission against the forces of Netherrealm. To celebrate their departure, they’re having a nice dinner with the rest of the team, prefaced by a few friendly show matches between the various members of the team. Cassie and her fellow Kombat Kids don’t get to participate - fine by her, of course; she’s not like Jacqui or Liu Kang, who actually  _ want _ to kick demon ass once they’re of age, she just gets the  _ privilege _ of joining in because she inherited daddy’s  _ glowiness _ \- but  _ Frost _ does, at her master’s insistence.

Cassie knows Sub-Zero’s one of the good ones, but she’s beginning to see why Frost is so frustrated with him. The members of the elite Special Forces squad regularly take on missions alongside the reformed  _ Justice League _ \- a fifteen year old teenager  _ probably  _ shouldn’t be sparring against them, no matter  _ how _ talented or well trained.

And so the matches go on - her mom and dad face off against each other, Sonya’s training and discipline managing to trump her father’s gods-given power, and Scorpion’s mastery over his weird little... _ flaming spear chain _ proving too much for uncle Jax’s usual brand of bionic fisticuffs. Eventually, it’s down to a duel between Sub-Zero and his teenaged protegé.

It goes  _ exactly _ as expected - for Frost and Cassie, at least. 

Having studied his technique as part of her training, Cassie can barely track Sub-Zero’s movements at the best of times, but the Master of Cold is, much to his surprise, forced to bust out his A-game, as the bluenette seems to block and counter his every move. He punches, he kicks, and even tries to bust out some ice kunai to surprise Frost, all to no avail.

Frustrated to the point of growing  _ icicles  _ on his beard, Kuai Liang calls for a stop to the duel. “ _ Enough.  _ What is the  _ meaning  _ of this, Frost? What sort of  _ trickery _ have you resorted to?”

“I-I don’t understand.” -Frost mutters, confused. “I’m simply following your teachings,  _ sifu _ .”

“At a level befitting of a Lin Kuei _Grandmaster_.” -he frowns, crossing his arms. “You _are_ good, Frost - my finest ever pupil - but not _that_ good. Not yet.”

“Looked like even  _ you  _ weren’t that good, Captain Frostbeard.” -her father teases. 

Sub-Zero narrows his eyes. “I held back.” -he defends. “Not as much as I  _ usually  _ do, but still.”

“Perhaps you are losing your touch, old friend.” -Scorpion smirks, predatory. “Do not fret; I am told wisdom comes with age.”

“Just ask Raiden.” -her mother sarcastically comments.

Kuai Liang seems at a loss, staring at his hands like they’ve suddenly become wrinkled and spotted with age. “I...suppose  _ congratulations  _ are in order, my student.” -he says, almost haunted.

“Nah, they really aren’t.” -someone behind her says. 

Cassie tries to cover her mouth to stifle her laughter but fails, bursting into cackles alongside Frost, who joins in beside her. It only takes a second for the giggles to propagate, as the others put two and two together - culminating in Pops promptly incinerating Frost’s visage and returning to his full, 1.88 meter tall metallic glory.

“You have been pranked.” -the Terminator drones, leaving the usually stone faced cryomancer  _ comically _ open-mouthed.

Her father howls with laughter, and even her mom can’t help but crack a smile; for as much as she might mistrust the space-time travelling killing machine, it’s  _ kinda  _ hard not to laugh at the speechless ice ninja.

* * *

Something  _ changes  _ between the two cryomancers, and it’s immediately apparent at dinner. It’s almost like someone’s  _ turned on  _ the muscles on Sub-Zero’s face, because he’s  _ actually smiling,  _ even laughing along as the older Kombatants share their kinder exploits, and letting  _ Frost  _ laugh at his younger self’s blunders.

The bluenette pulls her aside just before dessert, rosy cheeked and full of giggles. “Thank you  _ so much,  _ Cassie. The others back at the temple are  _ never  _ going to believe it.” -she says.

“S’no biggie.” -she says. “You should’ve seen how  _ excited  _ Pops was to pull this off.”

“I believe it.” -she says. “I was  _ totally  _ off. He  _ is  _ a big softie.”

“Still a  _ killing machine, _ but yeah.” -Cassie says. “I’m glad he ended up in the wrong universe.”

“I’m glad I decided to ask why he looked like a hot grandpa.”

Cassie cackles. “I’m  _ absolutely  _ gonna tell him that, Frost.”

“It’s...Sara.” -she says. “Sara Hu.”

The blonde smiles - she might not be in this for the  _ cause,  _ but she wouldn’t trade the friends she’s made through it for the world. “Cassie Cage.” -she says, offering her hand. “Say, what are the chances the new, happier Sub-Zero would be willing to install wifi in Arctika?”

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you for your attention! Make sure to comment or message me if you have any questions about this story. Look me up on Twitter as Darthkvzn or Tumblr as darthkvznblogs if you'd like - and on Ko-fi, as Darthkvzn, if you like what I do and have a coffee's worth of money to spare.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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